Stucco-Based Surfacing System And Method

ABSTRACT

A building surfacing system is described, the system including a stucco substrate affixed to and disposed upon a support panel, a primer coating applied to a surface of the stucco substrate so as to form a primed stucco substrate, a first sealant coating applied to the primed stucco substrate, an intermediate mesh layer disposed upon the first sealant coating, and a second sealant coating applied to the intermediate mesh layer while the intermediate mesh layer is disposed upon the first sealant coating. A related method for providing a water-proof exterior surface to a building structure is further described.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of the priority of commonly-owned and co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 61/943,418, filed on Feb. 23, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention is in the technical field of water-resistant or water-proof surfacing materials for use in the construction of buildings and other structures.

BACKGROUND

There has long been a need for surfacing materials which can be applied to homes, buildings and other structures so as to provide visual appeal, while also providing long-lasting, weather-resistant exterior surfaces which resist water leakage and seeping, in order to prevent damage to the underlying structure or the occupants. To meet this long-felt need, various surfacing systems have been introduced and evolved over time.

One such surfacing system employs stucco. Stucco is a material which is comprised of a combination of an aggregate, a binder and water, which is applied wet and hardens into a solid. To prevent water seepage or leaking into the underlying structure, convention stucco systems are placed over a water vapor barrier, such as a sheeting formed from a non-woven or woven material. One example of such a vapor barrier is sold under the TYVEK brand from DuPont. Other vapor barriers are known and are commercially available. However, these systems fall short in various applications, because they do not completely solve the water problem. When installing stucco systems over a water vapor barrier, it is often necessary to puncture the barrier in order to nail or otherwise fasten the barrier to the underlying support panels or plywood, and the stucco system metal lath or other materials likewise must be fastened to the supports which are covered by the vapor barrier. Over time, water can seep into the stucco substrate and through the numerous punctures formed in the vapor barrier.

Thus, a need continues to exist for surfacing systems which provide flexibility in their application, have aesthetic value to consumers, and provide meaningful and substantial long-term water resistance to the building structure to which the system is applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention of this disclosure meetings this need, amongst others, by providing in one of its aspects, a building surfacing system. The building surfacing system comprises:

-   -   a stucco substrate affixed to and disposed upon a support panel,     -   a primer coating applied to a surface of the stucco substrate so         as to form a primed stucco substrate,     -   a first sealant coating applied to the primed stucco substrate,     -   an intermediate mesh layer disposed upon the first sealant         coating, and     -   a second sealant coating applied to the intermediate mesh layer         while the intermediate mesh layer is disposed upon the first         sealant coating.

The system may be further enhanced with decorative coatings or texturizers applied to the surface of the sealant coatings.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of providing an exterior surface to a building structure. The method comprises:

-   -   applying a stucco substrate to a support panel, which support         panel affixed, or is configured to be affixed, to the building         structure,     -   applying a primer coating to a surface of the stucco substrate         so as to form a primed stucco substrate,     -   applying a first sealant coating to the primed stucco substrate,     -   disposing an intermediate mesh layer upon the applied first         sealant coating, and     -   applying a second sealant coating to the intermediate mesh layer         disposed upon the applied first sealant coating,         so as to form the exterior surface of the building structure.         Preferably, the exterior surface so so formed is substantially         water-proof. By “water proof,” it is meant that the surface         would resist water leakage sufficiently to meet minimum industry         standards for designation as a “water proof” exterior surfacing         in construction of buildings or other structures. For example,         one such standard is set forth in PSI Environmental Geotechnical         Construction, Consulting-Engineering-Testing, Project No.         823-66078, Laboratory No. SPT-60104, Report Date Sep. 4, 1996,         and would be considered an industry standard for designation as         “water-proof” which could be met by preferred surfacing systems         and preferred methods of this invention.

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become even further apparent from the following detailed description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompany FIGURE is an elevated view in perspective of an installation of an illustrative surfacing system in accordance with one aspect of the invention, partially broken away to illustrate only a segment of the system affixed to a portion of a building frame, illustrating the layers of various materials employed in the illustrated system.

FURTHER DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As will now be appreciated, this invention enables the application of a durable surface material to the sides and even roofs of buildings and other structures, which enjoys the strength, texture and visual appeal of a stucco surfacing, while providing additional strength and water-resistance characteristics to the surfaces of the building or other structure.

In systems of this invention, a stucco substrate is affixed to and disposed upon a support panel. Typically, the support panel is any rigid material which can be provided in a sheet or panel form, or at least provide a planar exterior surface, and is self-supporting or can be affixed to a support frame so as to form the support surface for a wall, roof or other exterior surface or covering. Examples of suitable support panel materials include sheets or planks of wood, plywood, particle board, brick, concrete, concrete masonry units, or the like. The support panels when in sheet or panel form are typically cut into manually manageable pieces and are attached by nails, screws or other fasteners to framing studs, roof trusses or the like, that form the structure's frame. Preferably, the support panel is also covered with a vapor barrier, preferably fastened to the support panel material in a conventional manner. Suitable vapor barriers can include, for example, liquid applied barriers, and solid material barriers which are mechanically fastened to the support panel. Commercially available examples of such barriers are asphalt-based emulsions, water-based polymer-modified liquid moisture barriers, grade D asphalt paper, as well as TYVEK brand vapor barrier material. Some examples of liquid applied barriers are GOLD COAT, EMERALD COAT and VAPOR SEAL brand coatings from Sto Corp. of Atlanta, Ga., USA. To the support panel (preferably covered in the vapor barrier), a lath typically made of metal, metal alloy or other rigid material will be nailed or otherwise attached to the installed support panel and vapor barrier. Alternatively, the lath can be attached to the panels prior to their attachment to the framed studs, when using the kind of support panels that are cut into boards, e.g., plywood, and attached to the studs.

The stucco substrate, typically in wet form, is then applied to the lath and worked into a desired and sometimes decorative surface form by standard manual techniques for applying stucco substrate to a lath, and then allowed to dry until a dried, installed stucco substrate is formed.

To the dried stucco substrate will be applied at least one primer coating. The primer coating is typically comprised of an acrylic-based primer designed to neutralize the pH level and acids in the stucco, and can be obtained commercially from, for example, Sto Corp. The primer coating will be applied, e.g., by rolling, brushing or spraying the liquid coating, onto the dried stucco substrate. After at least one coat of primer coating is applied onto the dried stucco substrate, the substrate is allowed to dry to form a primed stucco substrate.

A first sealant coating is applied to the primed stucco substrate. The first sealant coating is typically comprised of acrylic materials, and especially fortified acrylic polymer emulsions (e.g., ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsions), or the like. Ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsion can be obtained commercially from, for example, Sealmark Manufacturing Corporation of Donora, Pennsylvania, USA under the brand, SEALMARK roof coating. The sealant coating will be applied as a liquid and will be rolled, brushed or sprayed onto the primed stucco substrate to form a first sealant coating. While the first sealant coating remains moist and uncured, an intermediate woven fiber or cloth layer preferably is disposed upon the first sealant coating, typically by troweling it into the wet first sealant coating. The intermediate woven cloth layer is typically comprised of natural or synthetic fibrous materials and can be obtained commercially from, for example, SealMark Manufacturing Corporation, which sells such suitable woven cloth materials for use in roofing applications.

In some aspects of the invention, the intermediate mesh layer is pressed into the first sealant coating in order to allow sealant coating material to adhere to the mesh layer and vice versa. Once the intermediate mesh layer is disposed on the first sealant coating, a second sealant coating (preferably comprised of the same material as that which forms the first sealant coating) is then applied to the intermediate mesh layer while the intermediate mesh layer is disposed on the first sealant coating, thereby suspending the mesh layer within a thick combination of sealant comprised of the first and second coatings. The sealant coatings and intermediate mesh layer are then permitted to dry. To the dried sealant coatings there may be applied decorative coatings and texturizers, either spray or trowel-applied. Suitable examples of such decorative coatings and texturizer coatings can be obtained commercially from Dryvit Systems, Inc. of West Warwick, R.I. USA, or Sto Corp.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of providing an exterior surface to a building structure. The building structure may be any building structure which is potentially exposed to weather conditions so as to have one or more exterior surfaces. The exterior surfaces can include, for example, one or more walls, roofs, exterior decorative features, or the like. The method comprises at least these steps:

-   -   applying a stucco substrate to a support panel, which support         panel is affixed, or is configured to be affixed, to the         building structure,     -   applying a primer coating to a surface of the stucco substrate         so as to form a primed stucco substrate,     -   applying a first sealant coating to the primed stucco substrate,     -   disposing an intermediate mesh layer upon the applied first         sealant coating, and     -   applying a second sealant coating to the intermediate mesh layer         disposed upon the applied first sealant coating.

To further illustrate an example of one aspect of this invention, the accompanying Figure illustrates a support panel A which is fastened to studs B. In a typical wall or roof application, there would be numerous of these panel and stud arrangements disposed to form the wall or roof exterior surface. Panel A has affixed to it a TYVEK vapor barrier sheeting 1 which is intended to cover the exterior of Panel A and would be disposed on surrounding panels as well. A metal lath 2 is installed by nails or screws to the vapor barrier-covered panel A. A layer of stucco substrate 3 a has been installed on lath 2 and primed with a primer coating 3 b. To the primed stucco substrate (3 a and 3 b) is applied a first sealant coating 4 of the ceramic-based acrylic polymer above-described, an intermediate woven mesh layer 5, and a second coating 6 of the sealant. To the primed and sealed stucco substrate at coating 6 is applied a decorative coating in the form of a colored or texturized paint coating 7.

The sealed, primed stucco substrate may be decorated in a variety of ways beyond simply decorative painting or texturizing. For example, decorative bands and crown moldings, as well as decorative stenciling, may be applied to the stucco. Over time, the decorative coatings or applications can be replaced without necessarily re-sealing the stucco substrate. The intermediate woven layer in the sealant coating provides added strength and resistance to cracking due to movement of the support panel and frame structure over time.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the illustration presented here is merely an example of one aspect of this invention, and that the invention can be embodied in a variety of other, different forms. Thus, for example, vertical walls, roofs, ceilings, exterior columns and other structures may have similar surfacing treatments applied in different structural ways within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Except as may be expressly otherwise indicated, the article “a” or “an” if and as used herein is not intended to limit, and should not be construed as limiting, the description or a claim to a single element to which the article refers. Rather, the article “a” or “an” if and as used herein is intended to cover one or more such elements, unless the text expressly indicates otherwise. Various aspects of the invention described herein may comprise, consist essentially of or consist of the indicated elements or steps.

This invention is susceptible to considerable variation within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A building surfacing system, the system comprising: a stucco substrate affixed to and disposed upon a support panel, a primer coating applied to a surface of the stucco substrate so as to form a primed stucco substrate, a first sealant coating applied to the primed stucco substrate, an intermediate mesh layer disposed upon the first sealant coating, and a second sealant coating applied to the intermediate mesh layer while the intermediate mesh layer is disposed upon the first sealant coating.
 2. The surfacing system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sealant coatings each comprise a ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsion.
 3. The surfacing system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one decorative coating applied to the second sealant coating.
 4. The surfacing system according to claim 1, wherein the stucco substrate further comprising a metal lath disposed between the support panel and the stucco substrate.
 5. The surfacing system according to claim 4, further comprising at least one decorative coating applied to the second sealant coating.
 6. The surfacing system according to claim 4, wherein the intermediate mesh layer is comprised of a woven fabric.
 7. The surfacing system according to claim 4, wherein the first and second sealant coatings each comprise a ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsion.
 8. A method of providing an exterior surface to a building structure, the method comprising applying a stucco substrate to a support panel, which support panel is affixed, or configured to be affixed, to the building structure, applying a primer coating to a surface of the stucco substrate so as to form a primed stucco substrate, applying a first sealant coating to the primed stucco substrate, disposing an intermediate mesh layer upon the applied first sealant coating, and applying a second sealant coating to the intermediate mesh layer disposed upon the applied first sealant coating, so as to form the exterior surface of the building structure.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first and second sealant coatings each comprise a ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsion.
 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising applying at least one decorative coating to the second sealant coating.
 11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising attaching a metal lath to the support panel and applying the stucco substrate to the metal lath when applying the stucco substrate to the support panel.
 12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising at least one decorative coating applied to the second sealant coating.
 13. The method according to claim 11, where the intermediate mesh layer comprised of a woven fabric.
 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first and second sealant coatings each comprise a ceramic-fortified acrylic polymer emulsion. 